How do You prepare for power/service outages?

[ebinmaine 67,506]

I got to thinking this morning that although we've had no electricity (and thereby internet) for over 48 hours,  we're doing just fine. 

 

Then I got to thinking that it might be interesting to see how the folks on Redsquare prepare for outages like this. 

 

So, what do YOU do?

What do you have around ALL the time?

What do you go and get/purchase knowing a big storm is headed in like the one we had here in Northern New England this past Thursday and Friday? 

 

 

[Treepep 564]

@ebinmaine.

 

We pull the generator out of the garage.  Fire it up, drain and change all the things and shove back into the garage.  That should take care of any power outage fears.  Power loss happens here... A LOT.  Less often since the generator purchase.  Go figure.

 

I cant speak for all or even many however I would wager that most have pantry for weeks and access to clean water or water that can be boiled.  I catch a lot so good there.  

 

My next house will have a masonry fireplace.  They have to be grandfathered here or ya cant have one I have a gas stove now.  11 years, never used it.

 

 

[SylvanLakeWH 25,560]

Portable 7200 generator. Whole house hookup with shutoff to grid. I can run the whole house plus run a cord to my neighbor... 8 gallon gas tank.

[squonk 41,118]

I've lived in my house since '88. The power has gone out about a grand total of 6 hrs.!  ( and 4 of those is when drunks knocked down some poles!)   I used to have a 3000W genny for a tractor but sold it as it was just a tractor show conversation piece. My wife cans a lot of stuff and we have a gas stove in our TV room if we ever need heat. 

[Ed Kennell 38,178]

I installed the wood stove as a back up heating/cooking source in 1967.   It quickly became the primary heat source with the oil burner filling in when we aren't home to feed the wood stove.

We have a 15 cubic foot freezer that is always full of venison, fish, berrys, bread and milk and a well stocked pantry.    I have my Wheel Horse powered Onan genset that will run the freezer and fridges.

So about all I do to prep for a power outage  is get out the kerosene lamps and fill the bath tub with water for toilet flushing.     We very seldom have an outage that lasts more than a few hours.

 

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,318]

Generator filled with non-ethanol fuel, plenty more non-eth in fuel cans, tender on the starting battery (also has pull start). Sends power to a 200amp whole house transfer switch and we have everything. Still try to not leave powered stuff on so that I can get more out of a tank if fuel. 
 

 

 

[squonk 41,118]

Back in my NAPA days, the store manager named Tim lived out in the country where the power would go out every time a squirrel farted. Across the road was an old retired engineer who was a customer at the store. We called him Mr. Bill. Mr. Bill's  house  was built on a little hill and his basement was actually dug into the hill. He had an overhead door to enter the basement and in there he had an old 6 cylinder military genny. Tim being a tightwad didn't have a generator. Tim would get all every time the power would go out. Mr. Bill knew this. So when the power would go out, Mr. Bill would roll out that genny, fire it up, turn every light on in the house and read the paper sitting in his chair by the window. Knowing Tim would look out his window and see him reading the paper when all Tim had was a candle or crappy flashlight. 

 

I could always tell when the power had gone off at Tim's house by his mood in the morning! 

Edited April 6 by squonk

[pfrederi 17,739]

We must live at the end of the extension cord and people keep tripping over it.  We get frequent outages usually power is restored in 4-6 hours  (Or about 20 minutes after I drag out the 5kw generator and gas it  up and yank the rope (no electric start).

 

I have accumulated a few inverters over the years.  Have one deep cycle battery. That will run he refrigerator and a a few lights for about 8 hours.  Nice to be able to open and close the fridge.    Since most all my 20 WHs have batteries I have other inverters to run the fan on the coal stove.  That will last 3-5 hours  Also picked up a car battery that with another inverter runs the TV set cablebox and router for a few hours.

 

Have had a couple long term outage 24-36 hours.  Generator runs well pump and 5 house circuits but it is noisy and you always wonder how long the gasoline will hold out. So when it is running I recharge the batteries and then can shut the generator down for a couple hours an revert to battery...

[peter lena 8,629]

@ebinmaine 

in addition have  set up my  sump pump , with a piping discharge , that can easily be switched from cellar pit , to outside street corner drain , or if thats backed up , (   its happened )  to side of yard , with a simple valve direction change , set up a discharge loop from pump . main flow , street drain , switch valves , water to corner of yard . used this for years , dependable , Pete

[Racinbob 11,081]

I use a 7250/9000 generator feeding the 200a main panel via a generator input recep in the garage (ignore the open panel, I'm currently  installing a dedicated smoker recep) and a UL listed lockout device installed in the panel. It hots up everything. Plenty of power to run what we want but we don't use the electric clothes dryer in an outage. The two digital meters (upper right) tell me the voltage and amperage the generator is supplying. Gas furnace, water heater and range along with total LED lights and we're good to go with no worries. Phone reception here in the boonies is terrible and we need internet service for it so I have a UPS on the equipment. We get on the power company's website to get an idea how long we will be without power and decide if I want to fire up the generator. The white device right below the meters Has an inductive pickup with a wire wrapped around one on the incoming wires from the power company. I turn it on when I go to generator power. When it senses the power is back on it sounds a screech that will wake the dead. I also keep at least 20 gallons of no-booze gasoline in the garage, 

 

Edited April 6 by Racinbob

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,318]

3 hours ago, Racinbob said:

I use a 7250/9000 generator feeding the 200a main panel via a generator input recep in the garage Plenty of power to run what we want but we don't use the electric clothes dryer in an outage. The two digital meters (upper right) tell me the voltage and amperage the generator is supplying. Gas furnace, water heater and range along with total LED lights and we're good to go with no worries. Phone reception here in the boonies is terrible and we need internet service for it so I have a UPS on the equipment. We get on the power company's website to get an idea how long we will be without power and decide if I want to fire up the generator. The white device right below the meters Has an inductive pickup with a wire wrapped around one on the incoming wires from the power company. I turn it on when I go to generator power. When it senses the power is back on it sounds a screech that will wake the dead. 

 

Nice to see it hooked up correctly! So many people just do a dirty hookup.

[RandyLittrell 3,877]

I have a generator mainly because my basement is a walk in and lower than the back yard, so if I lose power during a rainstorm it is an issue. But I have lots of coleman stoves and lights plus fuel and propane. I have some portable solar that can keep lights and cell phones charged. I also have a ventless gas log in my fireplace that can heat part of the house if needed. I live close to our firestation though and its the first thing fixed when power goes out, so I hardly ever lose power. I have lots of food and water as well. 

 

 

 

Randy

[JoeM 7,874]

Generator, 25 gallons of gas, Natural Gas heat just need minimal power to furnace. 

The neighbors house we watch, in the winter mouths cause they snow bird to FLA, always got a full freezer of stuff. (and they tell us to use it) Lol Not yet but they send over the stuff in the spring to share in order to restock.

So we are OK. Got gas fire places in the basement and pool house. 

Our power is pretty good. 

Always keep the normal things like a few cases of bottled water and dry goods. 

 

[Handy Don 12,232]

We’ve had a few outages of a few hours and a year or so ago we were out for 6 days.

Our generator is able to handle the critical stuff--heat, sump pump, refrigeration, some lights, and phone/laptop chargers. Generator is kept empty and dry and (so far) has started with one or two pulls. i usually have only 3-5 gallons of fuel around, enough so that I’ll use in a month or so and get fresh. I'll get out and get another 15 or so gallons in advance of any predicted weather situations. The generator at full load gives me about two hours per gallon and, like others have noted, I shut it down for an hour or so every few hours.

So far, we’ve never lost cell service so we've always had access to the internet. I could put the FIOS equipment on the generator if it came to that, assuming it wasn’t also down.

[Racinbob 11,081]

4 hours ago, Sparky said:

Nice to see it hooked up correctly! So many people just do a dirty hookup.

Thanks. I see that you did as well. I have little patience for those who don't do a proper tie it. So much can and does go wrong. A lot of people ask for my advice on this subject especially when we lived in Florida. I'm sure you do to. My first response to this, "if you're wanting to do it right I'll give you all the help you need. If not, don't even talk to me about it." 

[ML3 1,203]

Electric start multi fuel Wen generator.  Primarily run it on propane so then there's no carb issues w/stale gasoline.  It's installed in shed. Battery always on a maintainer. Used soffit vents to draw air in & attic shutter vent to remove heat and any possible fumes. Also got the halon ball as a precaution. Exhaust purchased for indoor generator applications & is shielded entirely & especially where it passes thru shed siding. Have a 4" pvc pipe capped thru side of shed that I run the 30a cord to plug on back of house (about 14') Interlock switch assures main is disconnected if generator is in use. Control what I power with breakers. 

So in inclement weather generator stays inside, dry, etc. 

 

Also have a small Westinghouse 2200w inverter generator that also will run on propane. If its a summertime outage & furnace & other items don't need to run its way more fuel efficient. I made a 120v standard plug to 30a adapter cord. Actually the little generator will run the furnace. 

[Beap52 811]

We lost power for the first time in 20 years for 5 hours this week.  Three neighbor's automatic start generators fired up.  Me? I went out to the shop, rolled our portable near the walk-in door stuck the muffler's tail pipe extension through the galvanized pipe race so the exhaust would be directed outside.  Ran the wire from the generator to the wall mounted receptacle that feeds the Generac 100 amp breaker box/disconnect.  Because I use a portable generator, I have to throw the disconnect manually.  I can't run all eight circuits that are in the Generac breaker box at once so I turn them all off, Start generator and cut on the ones needed.  Sump pump is most important in heavy rain.  I've got a battery backup sump pump but water table is high around here and my 35 gallon sump pit can fill as quick as every 9 minutes.  With the generator inside the shop my setup it quieter than  my neighbors.  It's not worth the expense of the Generac type system for me.  Grief one neighbor pays almost as much every year for the technician to maintain his unit that I paid for my generator!

 

We are on a well and I have a second septic tank that has it own sump pump that pumps water to the leach field.  We have Coleman white gas campstove, oil lamps, gas fireplace and usually at least 15 to 20 gallon of non-ethanol fuel plus I keep the El Camino and the sedan delivery full of fuel that I could siphon if needed.  Any machine of mine that has a carburetor runs on non-ethanol. 

 

A couple of years before we built our house, an ice storm took out power for several days.  I've tried to be prepared a best I can.  This week's outage happened during a hail storm when a couple of power line wires got together and must have blown a fuse somewhere.

[JoeM 7,874]

3 hours ago, Racinbob said:

Thanks. I see that you did as well. I have little patience for those who don't do a proper tie it.

We now have to have permits for all that work. 

In the past it was what ever you want to do.

I used to put in sub panels and services on the side. If the homeowner did not want to do it right I would turn down the job.

Just a lot of plain unsafe stuff. Not to mention It being just so sticky now with liability issues. Even when it is right you can get dragged into a law suit. 

 

[clueless 2,993]

12 hours ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

Portable 7200 generator. Whole house hookup with shutoff to grid. I can run the whole house plus run a cord to my neighbor... 8 gallon gas tank.

How long on 8 gal?

[clueless 2,993]

All these post are all well and good for you yank..., I mean folks who live up yonder with power out for two to four day. But down here on the cost we prepare during hurricane season for power outages, for 3 to 10 days. Longest time for me on the Genny, 16 days. You learn quickly how much power you really need, 3000w will get you through fine, 3600w, your living pretty good, that's about 10 gal. of gas or 12 gal. of propane a day. It can get pretty rough down here, so when you retire stay the hell up there.  

Edited April 7 by clueless

[SylvanLakeWH 25,560]

45 minutes ago, clueless said:

How long on 8 gal?

Depends on demand placed on it. 1-2 hours per gallon rough estimate...

[8ntruck 7,004]

A Generac and a 250 gallon tank of propane.  My in-laws installed that setup when my mother in law went onto an oxygen concentrator, before we ended up with the house.

 

Automatic transfer switch, leaves the house dark for about 15 seconds before the Generac fires up and stabilizes.  Just a good mechanical 'bang' when the power comes back on.

[CCW 1,295]

6000 watt portable Honda that rolls out of the garage into a mini shed bult to house it during a storm.  It plugs into main breaker box and transfer switch that requires main to be shut off before generator will power the panel.  Power does not go out often, the last time was 9 days.  Wife complained a bit but I pointed out that we had hot showers, cook with propane and were not living in the high school shelter with 1000 other people from town.

Edited April 7 by CCW

[Marv 924]

This takes care of me.

16000 watt whole house, automatic.

Takes the manual / physical load off me.

So glad to have it.

Marv